9-Year-Old Malaysian Girl's Art To Be Featured On Special Edition Hot Wheels Proton Saga
She is the first kid in the world to have artwork featured on Hot Wheels packaging.
By Syazwan Bahri — 31 Jul 2023, 05:15 PM
Having your artwork on a Hot Wheels packaging is something you may have dreamed of as a kid
That dream became a reality for 9-year-old Penangite Saw Jane Harn, who became the 'first kid in the world' to have their artwork gracing the packaging for a Hot Wheels product.
Saw was one of the winners of the Hot Wheels x PROTON Kids Design Competition 2023 and is set to be the first kid to see their hand-drawn artwork on Hot Wheels diecast packaging.
Saw Jane Harn is the first kid in the world to see her hand-drawn artwork on a Hot Wheels die-cast packaging
Image via Thinking Cap Studios (Provided to SAYS)In 2022, Hot Wheels and PROTON came together to reveal their inaugural collaboration, showcasing a prototype of the iconic 1985 Proton Saga in a 1:64 scale diecast model
The iconic Proton Saga is Malaysia's first national car, and this collaboration was part of the celebrations for Mattel Malaysia's 40th anniversary. The Hot Wheels Proton Saga, manufactured solely by Mattel Malaysia, will be introduced to the global market and become part of the world's best-selling Hot Wheels singles collection.
In 2023, Hot Wheels and PROTON took their collaboration to a more meaningful level by introducing the Hot Wheels x PROTON Kids Design Competition. They invited children from all over the country to participate in this historic initiative by creating blister card designs that captured the essence of "A Malaysian National Car" to be featured in a special edition of the product.
The competition received an overwhelming response, with over 386 entries from kids aged four to 12, showcasing patriotic colours such as blues, whites, reds, and yellows. After careful consideration, the top three winners were announced at the recent Art of Speed event: Saw Jane Harn (9 years old), Ezra Rehan Pal (11 years old), and Austin Goh Zi Hao (11 years old).
Top six winners (L-R) Ong Yu Zer (王宇哲); Ezra Rehan Pal; Muhammad Hafiy Fawwaz bin Muhamad Hafiz; Saw Jane Harn (苏靖涵); Austin Goh Zi Hao (吴梓滈), and Ainnur Sofea binti Ahmad Farid Ashraf of the Hot Wheels x PROTON Kids Design Competition were present at the winner announcement and unveiling of winning packaging event.
Image via Thinking Cap Studios (Provided to SAYS)Saw's design captures and celebrates a range of Malaysia's natural features and achievements, from the rhinoceros hornbill and hibiscus, the country's national bird and flower, and the National Monument
The winning design will undergo a pre-production review to identify any regulatory or other approvals that may be required, and the Mattel/Proton team will endeavour to secure such approvals.
The team hopes to keep as much as possible of the original design elements and aims to launch it in 2024.
The event showcases the work in progress of Hot Wheels Proton Saga 1:64 for-cast that will be available for purchase in end December this year
Image via Thinking Cap Studios (Provided to SAYS)Saw's parents are truly proud of her one-of-a-kind achievement
"We are grateful to Mattel for this opportunity," said Tang Sing Chant, parent of the winner.
"Not only have they gifted our daughter such a great honour, they have ignited a spark for a deeper appreciation for our country. We still can't quite believe that her design will be available for purchase in stores across Malaysia – we can't wait to see it in person."
"The Malaysian elements Jane Harn chose for her design are a quintessential summation of our beautiful country," said Azlan Othman, Chief Designer at PROTON and one of the judges for the design competition.
"We thought that her artful execution of these undeniably Malaysian icons would set a wonderful backdrop for the Hot Wheels Proton Saga."
